The Little Machine
by PriestessAmy
Summary: When you're off, the little machine has no more heart than a brain. This fic will begin with a variation on the plot of the game from Nona's point of view. She harbors a crush on her best friend, Clarissa, but shenanigans on the island make that kind of difficult. Things may get more complex as time goes on.
1. Gone to Hell

_Crushing on your best friend was basically like being cursed. So maybe that's why Nona wasn't more surprised when everything went to hell. Maybe that's why she figured it was probably all her fault._

* * *

At first, it was great. It was just the two of them, Nona and Clarissa. Granted, at the end of the day, it was always just the two of them, and Nona liked that just fine. She got the impression that her best friend wasn't of exactly the same opinion. Clarissa had always been a social creature – it was one of about five million differences that made their friendship so confusing.

But yeah, it was actually really nice. They made themselves at home on the beach, getting a roaring fire going, setting up the drink station, putting out beach towels. She would have called it domestic if it weren't for the fact that it wasn't really the right word.

Eventually people did show up – though 'people' was putting it generously. It was that strange Ren guy, his friend Alex, and her step... Oh no. As introductions continued, Clarissa immediately snagged on the fact that Alex had a new brother now. Nona could see the anger building in her in slow motion, and it was absolutely terrifying. Yeah, okay, so she had dated Michael for quite a while and watching him be replaced was probably a serious shock to the system. But Clarissa wasn't taking it well, and it served as a shitty reminder that she probably had no romantic interest in Nona and that she was straight as an arrow.

Things didn't exactly get much better when they got back to the bonfire. Somehow, it was rapidly decided they get into a round of Truth or Slap, which was just an awful idea. Before anyone could really get a word in edgewise, Clarissa just went for it, asking Ren about his feelings toward Nona. She groaned and sat down on her towel, pressing her face into her hands. "That's really... You don't. You don't have to answer that."

"No, come on, if you want a piece, you should have the chance to admit it!"

"Clarissa! Don't be so harsh..." Well, at least Alex was trying to diffuse things too.

"It. It's complicated..." he fumbled through his answer, not making Nona feel particularly confident. But at least he said he just liked her as a friend. Yeah, okay.

Then there was Alex's marry-bang-kill response, which was probably even more embarrassing, if that was possible! "Okay, so I would... marry Nona. I like the quiet types." It was stupid, but Nona filed away that piece of knowledge for another day. She was still a little bit too focused on her best friend. But it was interesting to know! "And then I would screw Clarissa." _Hah, get in line, blue-hair. She mine._

"Wait, that means you'd murder me?" Ren seemed legitimately upset, and Nona couldn't help but giggle brightly at his distress.

Alex was having trouble taking this too seriously either. "That's just how it worked out, calm down!"

It almost felt like things were winding down, but Clarissa seemed dedicated to settling her grudge and stirring up trouble. She dug in her heels and started questioning Alex about her family, her parents, and her brother. To everyone's surprise and embarrassment, Alex answered honestly, admitting that it was Michael's death that caused her parents to get divorced. That pretty much ensured that their delightful little game of Truth or Slap would come to an abrupt end. The only good thing about it was that it left her and Clarissa with some time to go back to talking like normal people.

Alex did come over briefly to speak with her, looking like she had something on her mind. Nona couldn't decide which would be worse – if it was about Ren, or about their apparent impending marriage. She was apparently more focused on being a decent friend because she awkwardly brought up Ren's not-crush. Nona sighed and shook her head. "He um... I mean, Ren seems like a good dude. But... if he is... Uh, just... Yeah, just tell him I'm not really looking for like... anything right now."

Alex looked understanding, with some combination of relief and worry. Nona didn't envy the job she had just given her, having to tell the poor love-sick puppy to put his efforts elsewhere. As the girl walked away, she felt Clarissa playfully nudge her with her foot, smirking slightly. "Lying to that poor kid. I mean, it's good to cut him off early. But are you telling me there's not a single person on this planet that you wanna get with?"

Dammit, why did Clarissa have to be so observant and snarky? Nona knew she couldn't lie to her. "Well! Well it's still true. Ren is like. Ren seems like a good guy. But I think he wants a real-ass girlfriend or something. And I can't be that. And he's not exactly what I'm looking for. So just... It was a white lie. Yeah." Her fumbled answer seemed to satisfy the redhead, mostly. They went back to drinking their beer in a comfortable silence, staring at the waves. Almost fifteen minutes went by like that when it suddenly occurred to both of them at roughly the same time that things had gone oddly quiet.

"How much could there possibly be worth seeing in a damn cave? It can't take that long to tune in and find out that there's absolutely nothing here to see. If they would get their asses back out here and just hang out like normal human beings this party could be half-decent..." Man, Clarissa really could gripe about anything when the mood hit her. But she did almost compliment the others, which was kinda sweet.

With all this talk of crushes and romance and marriage, Nona could feel the urge to be honest scratching at the back of her mind. "Hey, 'Rissa, what are you up to this weeke-"

That was when the light show exploded and everything went to shit. The air was filled with a fog of static – which made no sense because static wasn't a physical thing, right? It was tough to see even five feet in front of her face, which meant Clarissa was completely out of sight. And the static was getting loud, which meant all their attempts to call out to one another were essentially failed. Suddenly, the static hit her, as if that was a thing that normal people could understand, knocking her out.

* * *

"Nona..." The voice calling to her was sweet, oddly charming. It was familiar, but Nona's head was swimming and she couldn't place it. "Get up Nona..."

"...'Rissa...?" She groaned and searched for her phone to switch on the light, finally managing to climb to her feet. A few things in succession occurred to her, the first thing being that she was, like, across the island in the middle of the freaking forest! And the voice speaking to her had come from Alex. She breathed a sigh of relief and was about to see if she knew what was going on. But Alex cut her off and started speaking in a spooky, hollow voice, and Nona could swear her eyes were glowing slightly.

"Tsk tsk, Nona. You should know it's wrong to lie. Your family has tried so hard to teach you morals. Ren is such a sweet boy and you're kicking him in the balls so you can jump your best friend's bones. Your grandfather is spinning in his grave..."

Nona prickled, her hands clenching slightly. Was Alex actually evil? It would make a twisted kind of sense if this was all her fault. "Hey! You just... Leave my family out of this! What I do is none of your business!"

"And let's say you get what you want. Then what? Will you be girlfriends? Will you bring her home to meet mommy and daddy? Well, at least it will be delightfully dramatic when they disown you! Eventually you'll come to resent each other over it and she'll hate you and the cycle will begin anew. It's going to be a good time." She never moved, she stood perfectly still, just staring and smiling.

Nona didn't really like to yell or explode at people, but this was enough to drive her outside her usual comfort zone. "Shut up! Just shut up. You don't know anything. Get the hell out of here and leave me alone" Deciding that if shitty-Alex wasn't interested in leaving her alone, then she would take care of it herself, turning her back on those creepy eyes and storming off to find somewhere she could hide and be alone to catch her breath.

For a while, she just sat on the ground, leaning against an uncomfortable stone wall, trying and failing to not break down. She wasn't exactly sobbing, but there was some pretty pathetic whimpering and sniffling. Only her phone could really keep her aware of what time it was or how long it had been since she was on the beach – several hours, impossibly. She could hear footsteps and conversations in the distance and shot up to her feet. "Dammit, Alex, what did I tell you, get the hell out of here!"

The reaction was instantaneous, but now she was regretting it. This looked a lot more like actual-Alex and she had that step-brother with her. Jonas, that was the guy. "Woah, Nona, it's cool. I haven't seen you since the beach. What are you talking about?"

"You... You showed up here and you were talking to me about my..." She paused, not really wanting to dive too deep into her worries and insecurities, like any normal person would. Probably best to choose her words carefully. "You talked about my grandfather. You knew things." Nona hugged herself, really needing to trust these two, but finding it difficult.

"Hey, it's really us, I promise." Jonas seemed like a nice dude. And the first time Alex talked to her it had been pretty harsh and she wasn't interested in a conversation. This time around she looked more genuine.

"What's going on anyway? Back on the beach, and... There were lights and static and..."

Alex took another step toward her and the anxiety kicked in, causing her to stumble back a few steps. "No! Just... Are you actually you? Because... you weren't! Earlier. So. Tell me you're you." She knew she was being ridiculous, but given the circumstances, who could blame her.

Alex smiled, to her surprise. But unlike before, it wasn't smug or condescending, just... nice. "Yeah. It's me. Alex. Regular old Alex. Your wife, remember?"

The stupid joke was enough to dissolve her anxiety and had her erupting in bright laughter. "Christ, okay, yeah, it's you alright."

"Things are a little weird right now, but I promise I'll tell you about it soon. We're going to get Ren."

Wait! If they were going after Ren, and these two were still alive, then Clarissa had to be somewhere, right? "Have you seen-?"

"We're going to find her next, she's at-"

"Not yet!" Jonas, oddly, cut off Alex before she could finish her thought. That hit Nona as a particularly strange moment since the two had seemed to be getting along really well so far. Her chest tightened slightly to think that the brother and sister knew where to find Clarissa but didn't want Nona getting hurt or something ridiculous like that.

"You guys, please. If something creepy-spooky and possibly dangerous is going on here, then I'm not going to just sit idly by and wait! Please~?" She didn't want to come right out with the obvious reason, but something in Alex's face told Nona that she understood what she was thinking. She watched as the girl put a hand on her brother's shoulder and sighed softly.

"That's not the face of somebody who is going to be willingly pushed aside." She looked back at Nona with that same understanding smile. "Come with us."

"Yeah. Yeah, I think that would be for the best. Thanks. For being cool." She finally felt herself calming back down, fiddling with her sleeves as she joined the two siblings in hunting down Ren.

* * *

Finding Ren hadn't been so bad. Except for the part where everything started looping. And then that thing where Ren got hypnotized. And then he was possessed and talking crazy. And Alex had to do something super-weird with that little radio. But they finally had Ren back, leaving only Clarissa to complete the party. Then they could get the hell out of dodge.

Unfortunately, finding Clarissa turned out to be a hell of a problem. There were like five million buildings around Fort Milner, and Clarissa was able to make announcements that were scattered at best. "Does this place even have a gym?" Nona sighed in despair as she looked around at all the derelict buildings. "Come on, Clarissa, what the hell are you doing? Just get out here already!" She suddenly heard a crackling sound and saw a flash from where Alex was messing around up in the old tower thing.

Ren motioned toward the edge of a little pathway. "Hey, this door just popped open, like magic or..."

As he made his way down the ladder, Jonas gave an overly dramatic sigh. "I swear to god, if you say something about ghosts..."

"I'll stop suggesting something supernatural is happening here when **supernatural things stop happening**."

Nona approached the door, hugging herself and trying to convince everyone to join her in pressing forward. "Guys, please! I-I just... Let's find Clarissa and get the F outta here. I know we were supposed to be here all night, but frankly I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to."

Unfortunately, things only got worse from there. Jonas got locked in a room, Alex saw a ghost, it was entirely possible that Ren peed himself a little.

And then there was _the game_. It was getting more difficult to deny the fact that these were ghosts, once they started going out of their way to make it clear that they were part of the Kanaloa's sinking decades ago. Unfortunately, their methodology involved a twisted game of hangman, possessing Nona, Ren, and Jonas and forcing Alex to answer questions. Whatever the girl had done, it was clear she was their chosen hero. Possession was not fun; you got this splitting headache, and nothing could prepare you for the feeling of your body moving without your say-so. Nona really didn't like it.

Somehow, some way, Alex actually managed to pass the ghosts' little test and radio'd everyone to freedom. Once her head was no longer spinning, she made sure to give her heroic new friend a quick hug of appreciation. Alex held the embrace for a surprisingly long time.

Clarissa was so close Nona could taste it. She scrambled up the ladder and the rough broken wall. Pushing through the exhaustion and fear, she stepped inside a small room and almost squealed with delight to see that familiar ginger hair. Clarissa was just as excited and the two launched themselves at one another in a tight hug. "Oh my gosh, you gigantic idiot, where have you been?"

Nona became vaguely aware of the sudden lack of presence in her arms as that familiar, horrifying static sound filled her ears. She looked up to see that Clarissa had somehow moved across the room and was standing in the window. "Woah! Hey, woah, whatever... Like, whatever it is, this isn't the answer! Just come back inside and we can make our way through this nightmare together."

Clarissa turned her head to look back at her, and Nona saw those glowing red eyes. That hollow voice spoke through her grinning mouth "You had your chance, Nona. She is ours now, and we do not let go easily."

Everyone showed up just in time to watch her leap from the window, hitting the ground below with a sickening sound.


	2. Back to Me

Nona was curled up in the corner, practically fetal. Her arms were wrapped around her knees, which were tucked up under her chin. She was sobbing – not crying, not whimpering, but full-on snotty-nose gross-ass sobbing. It was all she could do. Ren and Jonas at least seemed to have the courage to go and... and look. And Alex was kneeling there by her side, holding her hand like an absolute darling. She spoke to her in a soft voice, but it was clear she was trying not to completely lose it herself. "Hey, come on, Nona. I... I know that was scary. I'm worried about her too. But... these ghosts, they mess with time to get in our heads. The only way we're going to survive is if you can be strong."

Somehow in the midst of her sobbing, Nona actually managed to get out a choked laugh. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly the strongest person around. Hell, I'm pretty sure... I think even Ren has me beat. I don't know if I can watch Clarissa-" She cut herself off with another sob. No doubt it was as heartbreaking for Alex as it was embarrassing for her. "I don't think I can see that and. I don't think I can keep moving after."

Jonas knocked at the jamb where the door used to be, coughing softly to get their attention. "I think things have gotten more complicated. She's not down there."

"What do you mean she's gone?" Nona hadn't meant for that to come out so harsh. It wasn't like she was the only one freaking out. But she was fully aware that everyone else had a much lower opinion of Clarissa than she did. And somewhere inside she had a serious fear that Clarissa's prickly nature would eventually make everyone want to ditch her in favor of hightailing it away from Death Island. "You don't... you can't go leaping three stories like that and then just walk it off! So explain to me what you mean by 'she's not down there' right now!"

The hand holding hers began to squeeze, almost as if to comfort her. Alex was... pretty good at that. "It's good news though, right? It's great news! Because you're right, if she fell, she wouldn't have been able to disappear. Which means she didn't actually fall. They really _are_ screwing with us. Clarissa's still out there, and we're gonna find her and get out of here. I promise~"

Nona had kinda managed to get over her full-on panic, giving another laugh and wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. "Christ, you really don't give up, do you? Okay, fine. Fine." Her limbs still felt like jelly, but she pushed herself to stand up, resisting the urge to lean against Alex for support.

* * *

Surprisingly, Ren actually had a decent idea. It was a rather complicated plan involving his sister's old job and a boat that Margaret Adler apparently owned. It sounded solid enough, and everyone seemed to be in agreement about what had to happen next. Ren and Jonas agreed to keep up the search for Clarissa while she and Alex went to get this key-thing. It was sweet, and perhaps something of an olive branch from Ren, to go look for her totally-not-crush since he didn't have much of a chance.

"So... It's my birthday in three days..." Nona had no clue why that was her starter, but she had said it and now she had to keep talking. "And it just has me remembering a year ago." She told Alex the whole story about their friend's car crash and the hospital and the cake and the movies. "So I guess... I guess that's why. That's why all I can think about is finding her. Because even if she is a bitch... Well, she's my bitch. Jesus, that came out completely wrong."

Alex laughed softly, but she got the impression she wasn't exactly laughing at her. "That's so sweet, I never would have suspected. Well, no, that's not true. I guess when she was-" Alex suddenly shut herself up. Nona could assume why.

"No. That's alright. She dated Michael. That was a real thing. That happened. And it's stupid to pretend like it didn't."

There was a slight sigh from the other girl. "She seemed genuinely excited to have like... an unofficial sister. And she's turned her frustrations outward. I get that, even if I don't like it." There was a pause in the conversation as Alex finally decided to broach the unspoken. "So then what are you two? Is she your-"

"Clarissa!" Nona felt a double-dose of relief to see her best friend, and also to be free of that line of questioning. She was less excited to see her on top of a lamp post looking very... possessed. From there, it was all more games and spooky shit. Alex tried to free Clarissa with that radio, but it did precisely jack and shit.

Then there was this entire spooky bonfire in the parking lot thing where she accused Alex of being the reason Mike was dead. As hard as everyone tried to stop this moment from spiraling, it ended right where it began, with Nona and Alex standing outside the office. No one was happy and everything was garbage and it was getting more difficult to maintain hope. What was the point of finding this boat if Clarissa wasn't with them?

A little breaking and entering was all it took to get inside, finding Maggie Adler's leftover stuff. Go figure it would be a freaking radio. But they had it, so... that was something, yeah? Without any certainty about her friend's fate, this stupid boat was pretty much the only thing Nona could cling to for optimism. It also sounded like there was more to be discovered around the island, and to her surprise, Alex actually got rather bouncy and excited at the prospect of a 'scavenger hunt'. In spite of everything, Nona giggled a little at her, at how adorable she was.

* * *

On the trip back to Maggie Adler's house, Alex went on quite the trip. This was not particularly encouraging for Nona either, since up until now Alex was the one person capable of resisting possession or whatever. But according to her, she went back in time, which was mega-weirder. Nona was all the more eager to get to the house, which she was sure would be some kind of safe zone. Hell, it even had a boat after all! It was a good turn, for once.

But better than the boat, better than all the cool stuff around the house, Clarissa was there! Even if Alex looked nervous as hell, that didn't matter to Nona anymore, she was just glad to have her best friend back. She joined her sitting on the pier and taking a well-deserved moment to breathe, soothed by the sound of water and distant gulls. It was an insane relief to go over old memories and just... chat again.

Nona could swear she heard the others say something about a boat key. But just as suddenly a wave of static took them all inside the house. She could see poor Ren knocked out, and could hear Alex trying to wake Jonas as well. Then that hollow version of Clarissa's voice called out to Alex. It was the spookiest thing in the world. She hated hearing her sound like that. The voice of the girl she...

The girl she loved. She loved Clarissa, that could no longer go without saying. Letting it go without saying felt like part of the reason they were in the mess they were.

"A game? Another game? I'm sick of games!" Alex sounded distressed, tired, probably from hiding how exhausted she really was. And Nona knew. It was time to do something.

Striding into the living room, Not-Clarissa was shocked to see her. That gave her a certain sense of confidence, that she had somehow managed to avoid yet another brain bomb. She strolled right up to her, looking her in the eye and feeling... something.

"This isn't you! I mean... Well, obviously this isn't you! You've been taken over, and the Clarissa I know would never stand for that!"

Those glowing eyes narrowed and looked back and forth between her and Alex. "You should not be here. You were our puppet once. _No strings on me._ You can be a puppet again. _All. Toys._ This one has anger. Strength. We offered her an outlet. Direction. She is not our puppet. _She is. Envoy. Vessel._ "

Nona could feel herself filling with rage, which was new. Nona didn't rage, she wasn't the raging type. She took another step forward until they were almost nose to nose. "No. She's Clarissa. She _is_ angry, and strong, and _smart_ , and... and _beautiful_ , and she's my best friend. And if she can't get rid of you on her own, then I'm going to help her. I owe her that much."

And the next thing Nona knew, her hands were at Clarissa's cheeks, their lips pressed together, kissing furiously.


	3. Just the End

Nona wasn't entirely certain why this was her chosen method of resolving the situation. But somehow she was certain it would work. What she hadn't been expecting, once the real Clarissa returned, was that her friend would actually begin to reciprocate. It took a moment to understand what was happening. But there was definitely more pressure in the kiss than a moment before. And their bodies were a little closer. Arms were circling around her back. She could hear her uttering a little contented sigh that lacked the creepy hollowness.

She could practically feel three sets of eyeballs on her back, and she was worried who was going to say something first, and how rude it would be. Thankfully, it turned out to be Clarissa, and she was obviously back to her old self. "Hey, nerd patrol. Go do something nerdy. The hell is wrong with you, give a couple girls some space. Christ." As soon as Alex, Jonas, and Ren were leaving, she dropped her mean-girl facade and broke out that old charm that Nona knew so well. "Come here~" She took her by the hand and guided her upstairs to the bed where, until a few days before, Margaret Adler had slept. She had to try rather hard to not think about that.

They sat together there on the edge for a while, staring at their linked hands and not really saying anything. "How long?" Clarissa broke the ice first

Ugh, right to the point then. Nona clutched her hand all the tighter as if it might ground her more. "Too long. Embarrassingly long. While-you-were-dating-other-people long." Surprisingly, the other girl just nodded as if this answer didn't surprise her all that much. She confessed that it finally hit her during her birthday the year before. "I felt like shit because you were with... y'know... And in my mind I... Yeah, I guess I stole you for a night."

Clarissa sighed softly, and Nona braced herself for the worst. "Yeah. Yeah I guess I felt a little shitty about that too..."

That response was not at all what Nona had been expecting, and she sat there in stunned silence for a while, just staring at their linked hands and intertwined fingers. "I'm not sure I follow..." She took a quick glance up and saw the strangest look on her friend's face. She was sort of happy and also kind of sad and maybe a bit angry?

"I don't actually hate Alex. I don't really blame her for Michael's death. It's just easier than admitting the truth. That I was already thinking about... about breaking up with him, and so when he died, I was terrified that I would look like a heartless bitch if I did what I wanted. But trying to repress and not be a bitch actually turned me into a bitch anyway." Clarissa flopped backwards onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Nona followed suit and joined her in stretching out. "Maybe... I actually sort of blamed myself. Like I wanted to be free, so the universe said 'Oh, yeah, sure, we'll get right on that!' and then poof! Dead boyfriend." Nona could feel Clarissa's thumb running slowly back and forth against her hand. "There's no handbook for how to deal with complicated grief. You have no way of knowing how long is long enough to be sad before you can move on. But with all this bullshit the last few hours, it makes you realize that if there's no handbook and no rules, then you might as well just do what you want. And what I really want is to get the fuck off this island and take you on a date."

Nona held her breath, as if at any moment, the universe would decide to tear them apart again. But they were actually given a break and she released a happy sigh. "Yeah. Okay. That... Me too. I would like that. Like, a lot. Very much."

"Okay. Good. Then... Once we're out of this place. We'll do that."

"Awesome."

* * *

The two lost track of time, though it must have been roughly half an hour or so of more soft banter and gentle kisses. Clarissa was the one to push the brakes, sitting up and looking around. "Okay so... nice of the others to give us some space. But... I'm not sure where the hell they've gone. It's too quiet..."

"Damn. I didn't even think about that. Should we... Do you wanna go check?" Nona stood from the bed and stretched a little, unaware that Clarissa was looking over her for a moment.

"Well, sticking together seems to have served you guys well so far. Let's do it." Clarissa took her hand, and Nona wasn't sure she would ever get over that sensation and how nice it was. The house was indeed empty, as was the dock and the basement. It was only as they started to pass through the heavy iron gates of Margaret's manor that they could see Alex and Jonas jogging toward them. Both looked anxious, and it was obvious something was seriously wrong.

"Okay, so... Good news/bad news..." Nona had learned over the course of the night that Jonas really tried to be positive no matter what was going on, but it sometimes came off as too much.

"We went exploring and collected those missives from Maggie Adler, and I think I know how to fix all this. But... they... They took Ren..." Like her step-brother, Alex was trying super hard to keep it together, but the frustration and fear were plain on her face.

Nona could feel the shift in tone and the way it affected Clarissa along with everyone else. But the redhead more than the rest because she knew what it meant to be not only possessed but 'taken'. "We have to get him back." Everyone was surprised by how forward she was about this, and how resolute. "When they get inside you, they... they make promises, they tell you that you can have everything you ever wanted. You feel powerful and useful, and even though you know you're just a tool, you don't care. I can't let that happen to someone else."

As hard as it was hitting Clarissa, Nona felt this horrible weight in the pit of her stomach. "This... This is all my fault. I should have... I-I didn't... I could have let him down more directly. They're going to use his desires, his jealousy..."

"Woah!" Nona was turned to face Clarissa, who was staring at her with those hard eyes of hers that were difficult to look away from. "Don't you dare do that! If you follow that train of thought, you'll drive yourself crazy. And we need you to keep it together. We all have to keep it together."

A cough from Alex drew both their attention. "Let me get back to the good news for a second. We can get Ren back, no problem. Just... come on, I'll show you."

* * *

"So... Anna and Maggie... That explains a lot." Nona mused quietly, mostly to herself. In a time when women could really only be best friends, these two were basically planning a life together. But they got in over their heads, Anna got taken, and Maggie couldn't handle it. Nona, for as tiny and mousy as she was, had actually managed to not repeat the mistakes of the past. She put herself in danger and saved Clarissa in the process.

"Alright! So we just have to get that bomb shelter open, make our way back into the cave, save Ren, seal the rift, and get the hell out of dodge!" God, Alex was unflappable sometimes.

Clarissa groaned and sunk more into the couch, running her fingers nervously through her hair. "You have... an impressive amount of gusto considering how terrible things are right now."

"I'm not saying we're going to succeed through sheer optimism. But it can't hurt! Jonas and I will go ping from the whatever station and we just need you guys to be on standby for the response part. Nothing to it!"

So Alex was kind enough to give the two more alone time while she and Jonas went to take care of the difficult part. She had been certain that even hanging out in the watchtower would be pretty great. And it was for a while – a little more kissing and touching, some talking when they weren't attached at the lips. But the ghosts clearly didn't like the prospect of a bunch of kids putting a stop to their escape plans. They were both alerted to the sound of applause from the other side of the tower's little radio room where a glowing, spooky Ren stood, clapping at their displays of affection.

"Talk about your consolation prizes. I probably won't ever get to fuck Nona, but at least she makes a pretty hot lesbian... Really though, stellar job, great lie you told me about not wanting anything at the moment. Clarissa, you should be insulted. She apparently considers you to be nothing. So enjoy that for aaaallllllll it's worth." There was a flash of that horrifying static and suddenly Ren was out on the catwalk. "This one is better. _Angrier._ We're going to enjoy piloting him. We're so happy with our acquisition, in fact, we're prepared to offer you a deal. _A bargain._ We walk with this one. And you will be harassed no more."

A serious look passed between the two girls, but ultimately neither of them could possibly have been heartless enough to take that kind of offer. They were going to leave the island together, as a group. No man left behind and all that macho bullshit. "No dice, Casper. Spook on us all you want, we're getting out of her with Ren, and you're going back where you came from." Leave it to Clarissa to sass everyone, even the dead.

Another burst of static carried their friend and the spirits away into the aether, leaving them alone. With fumbling hands, Nona went for the radio and sent out a call. "Guys? Are you like... there yet? I just um... We made contact with Not-Ren. They said we could leave free and clear if we let them keep him. Rissa told them to go to hell. So this had better work or we're gonna look like serious assholes..." She paused, unsure if she was even supposed to wait for them to talk back or if a button would suddenly light up or what.

Nona actually jumped when Alex's voice came through the radio, immediately feeling like a total dork in front of Clarissa. So very smooth. "Yeah, hey, we're here. Good job, Clarissa, you did the right thing. Um, here, I'm gonna send out the call."

She gave a warm, proud smile to her friend just as a light came on. She flicked the switch below it, and even from up in the tower they could hear the sound of a heavy metal 'thunk' in the distance. "Um. Radical. We're good to go. Hurry back, I want to get this done." She sighed and looked toward Clarissa again. "I used to love coming out here. I'm pretty sure it's been ruined for me now."

She felt that wonderful wave of relief wash over her as Clarissa took her hand and began leading her down from the tower to the entrance of the bunker. "I don't know about that. Maybe we actually can fix this whole... haunting... thing. And then you and I can come out here in the summer and make some new memories..." Well, great, now she was blushing like the sun. Nona was tempted to believe her, even if her hope was running low.

* * *

One last picture, to commemorate their suicide mission. Their faces looked tired, their smiles plastered on. But in the weeks to come, they would appreciate that they had taken it, for posterity, to remember.

To prove that it was real.

* * *

The original plan had been fairly straight-forward. Go into the cave, get into the rift, shut it down. Alex was playing the hero, defiant to the end that she would go in alone and, if she got trapped, that would be her sacrifice to make. No matter how much they bickered about it on their way through to the cave, she remained resolute. Alex might have almost found it charming if it weren't so damn infuriating.

And only with all three girls practically shoving Jonas through the door were they able to stop him from being drawn in by the music playing from some old reel-to-reel device. He desperately wanted to see his mother, and it wasn't like any of them could begrudge him that desire. But Alex and Clarissa knew about death and they were able to talk sense into him, so to speak.

Having not seen the original cave where everything started, Nona was a little lost in wonder and awe – even knowing how dangerous it all was. With her magic radio, Alex was able to work past all of Not-Ren's banter.

It probably shouldn't have come as a surprise at that point that everyone else was pulled through the rift, not just Alex, making this entire scenario about three times as dire. Alex began trying to reason with the ghosts, and she actually did an amazing job. She had clearly been doing her research through Maggie's notes. "I know you're not all entirely gone yet! Anna, Henry, Calvin, Francis! Margaret Adler made so many mistakes, and those mistakes left you stuck here. We made mistakes too... But this isn't the way. Dogpiling into our bodies isn't freedom, it's just trading one prison for another. It's been more than half a century. The world you know is gone. Even... Even Maggie."

A voice from the throng broke through, a raspy, feminine voice. "What...?" It sounded sad, sadder than the rest. And even more hollow, if such a thing were possible.

Nona clutched Clarissa's hand tightly. "She died, not even a week ago. As I'm sure many of your other loved ones have too. You can't get your lives back, and stealing someone else's is no better. But... But you clearly can do amazing things. If... If you can warp time and space and... and possess people... Then you... Surely you can. I don't know! Leave this place, find peace, move on, whatever it is that happens." She sighed, figuring that just about used the last few ounces of her courage. "Or whatever. You can stay here and be bitter until the world dies. I'm just saying."

There was an infinite abyss of silence, uncomfortable and empty. It felt like existence itself was holding its breath.

* * *

Nona came to, resting against the most comfortable thing she had ever laid against. Which, as it turned out, was Clarissa's chest. She jumped back with a small noise of shock, her face resuming its burning blush of embarrassment. It only got worse when she noticed that Clarissa had apparently been wide awake and was seemingly enjoying their Moment together. "Awww, where ya going? I was enjoying that!"

"Wh-! I was... We..."

She looked around to find that everyone else was also awake before her. "Don't hold back on account of us. We just saved the day, you deserve a cuddle." Nona looked in shock at Ren, who just a few hours before had been all possessed and creepy. Clearly he was trying to make up for Not-Ren's misdeeds.

As Nona shifted over, Clarissa sat up and wrapped an arm around her. So of course she tilted her head and rested it against her shoulder. As they all sat there, staring out at the sea, the sun began to rise out in the east. Against all odds, they had survived and won the day. The ferry would be there soon, but for now, they had one last chance to catch their breath and bask in their own glory.

 **[A/N: Here ends the canon part of the story. But there's a lot more to come, I promise]**


	4. In the Loop

Getting back to the real world turned out to be kind of a pain in the ass. Nona was certain that there was probably some fancy clinical term for it. But as far as she was concerned, it was simple – everyone was exhausted. Their first day back at school, all five of the Edwards Island survivors looked like hell, with bags under their eyes the size of chihuahuas.

She and Clarissa were currently pretending to eat lunch outside. One of the things that they did find great joy in was the sight of the sun. Night time was the enemy, and the sun meant safety. Both girls had food sitting in front of them that they were at least able to pick at so they didn't end up starving themselves.

"Glad to see I'm not the only one having a tough transition back to normal life~" Both girls looked up and saw Alex approaching their table, taking a seat and removing her lunch. No doubt to pick at it pitifully like the other two. "I don't know about you guys, but sleep has been impossible..."

Clarissa sighed pitifully and popped a small piece of sandwich into her mouth. "I have this old radio from when I was younger. The other night, I smashed the goddamn thing to pieces because I was sure it was going to turn on without warning and start spitting code phrases at me or something..."

"Yeah, the nightmares are pretty awful..." Nona mused, making her third attempt to actually eat the apple she'd went to all the trouble of bringing with her.

Alex didn't even seem to be bothering with food at the moment. She at least brought a lunch for the sake of appearances, but she hadn't even opened the little paper bag yet. "I actually had kind of an idea. Um, I think it could be easier for us if we felt safer when we went to bed. What if we had a – god, I can't believe I'm going to even say this – a slumber party? Like, a literal one."

Clarissa had become a lot nicer in the days since they got back from the island. But it still slipped out now and then. "Christ, are we back in the seventh grade? Come on, Alex, you can't be serious..." It was strange to have seen the transitions Clarissa made from cool girl to bitch to oddly sweet girl who doesn't know how to deal with her desire to be kind. You could hear in her tone that she wanted to investigate Alex's idea, but she didn't have the softer lingo down yet, just the softer voice.

"Well...! O-Okay, so... My parents are going out of town for the weekend, and Ren is stealing Jonas to go on some kind of bros' weekend, I think for kinda the same reason. And... A-And I guess I'm just... afraid to be alone, alright? So I thought it might be nice to hang out with you guys and drink and get some real food and maybe have an actual decent sleep for the first time since we got back!" She groaned, her forehead slumping down against the table.

She could see Clarissa's face softening, and Nona was sure hers was too now. Alex needed them, and they needed her. "Hey, sorry... I think maybe you're right. That could be really healthy for all of us. So... Friday at 8?"

* * *

So Friday at 8.

Even after Alex finally revealed just how badly she needed to have people around, it wasn't really made obvious to the other girls until they showed up to her house where there was a spread of delicious food and even a few bottles of carefully pilfered alcohol. Despite days and days of being unable to properly eat or really even think, they somehow found themselves with full bellies and fuzzy brains as they settled onto Alex's bed to hang out and talk until they allowed themselves to pass out.

"Okay, tell me if I'm being a total asshole for asking this question..." Well, Alex was already setting this up for being an embarrassing start to things. "How are the two of you doing? I mean... N-No, I mean... like... as... _the two of you_. Are you a thing? Or just... feeling stuff out?"

Nona could feel Clarissa bumping shoulders with her and they shared an incredibly stupid, girly laugh. "We haven't. Like, it's nothing official. There was just a lot going on and. Um. Clarissa? Bail me out here?"

The redhead laughed more and nudged her again. "Eventually. But I'm sure you can understand, after Mike, I'm just being careful with... stuff." Clarissa's eyes narrowed and her face burned. It was an odd face, no doubt aided by the alcohol in her system. "While we're on the topic of awkward subjects. I seem to recall a certain someone had a very. Interesting. Answer to a game of Truth or Slap. So c'mon, out with it!"

Okay, well, now everyone was blushing and looking kind of awkward and kind of intrigued. Alex shifted some strands of her hair up behind her ear, unable to make eye contact with either one of them. "Out with what?"

Clarissa was smiling at least, looking at Alex with a kind of playful cruelty. "You said that you would marry Nona. **My** Nona!"

"Yeah!" Nona was finally catching on to where she was going with this. Sort of, at least. "And that you would fuck Clarissa! **My** Rissa!"

"So what's the big idea? Were you just... saying that so you could get out of the game faster?"

The image of pure distress and fear on the poor girl's face was delightful, though Nona did feel a little guilty for playing up this teasing so much. But she did finally manage to squeak out a reply. "Well _obviously_ I meant it! It was truth or slap, I wasn't going to lie! I-I just... I don't know, Nona, you're super cute and I honestly do have a thing for quiet girls. And... A-And Clarissa, it's just like you said. Look at you! Tall, confident, gorgeous hair, piercing eyes..." Her thoughts seemed to be getting away from her and she buried her face in a nearby pillow, letting out a primal guttural groan of frustration. "Fuck, I shouldn't have taken that last shot of whiskey. It makes me too honest..."

Okay, yeah, now she was starting to actually feel kinda bad. And also maybe she was also feeling curious, or confused, or something. "Well, now I don't know which one of us should feel more jealous and threatened..."

Clarissa shrugged, looking embarrassed but otherwise clear-headed. "Seems to me neither of us has to be worried about anything. Our Alex here is a goddamn hero and super adorable to boot. And frankly, I'm pretty sure the two of you could start making out and I wouldn't be upset."

Nona's head snapped up, as did Alex's, and both girls stared at Clarissa for a moment or two. Then, cautiously, both gazes drifted toward each other, and quickly away. "You're such a weirdo, sweetie, what's gotten into you!" To Nona's surprise, Clarissa didn't even bother to give her an answer, she just looked at her smugly before leaning over to where Alex was seated, guiding her face away from where it was buried in the pillow. With practiced care she held Alex's stunned face and pulled her into a long, slow kiss. Nona could only sit there and stare in disbelief – disbelief that this was happening, but also disbelief that it was true, she wasn't angry, she wasn't upset. Mostly, Nona was just kind of... intrigued. This evening just kept getting weirder.

And now Alex was the one to push her luck, leaning in Nona's direction. Her heart was thumping in her chest, so hard she could barely hear anything except the quickening rhythm. Their lips met and she immediately understood why Clarissa seemed to want her to try it too. Kissing Clarissa was like... coming home again, or sitting in front of a warm fire. But kissing Alex was like random walks through the woods at one in the morning, reading through an aged diary written by an explorer. It was like kissing a tesla coil. She didn't want it to end.

Obviously it had to sooner or later. She sat back and hugged her pillow against her chest. For all the thoughts swarming through her head, the one that finally broke through was a bit of a surprise. "...I can't do this anymore." Without warning, she got up from Alex's bed and walked away, trying to find some place in the house she could just get away from this and hide. She eventually ended up in a comfy spot on the couch in the living room where she curled up, hugging the pillow she'd brought with her.

After everything on the island, Nona really thought she would be able to get over herself and her fears. But every time she got something she wanted, there was this automatic reaction throughout her entire body that made her feel ill. Even when you disagreed with, say, certain family members 100%, you couldn't always eliminate their voices from your mind or the terrible things you knew they would say to you. She could actually shut it out when it was just her and Clarissa, because it was a decade and a half into the new millennium and gay pride was in high supply.

Then she had to discover the hard way that her new breaking point existed at the instant that she and her not-quite-girlfriend were kissing another girl and thoroughly enjoying the experience. It was that moment of wondering consciously if it was possible that a girl could actually date two girls at once without complications or trouble. Because if she was nervous about coming out to her family as gay, how much more horrifying to imagine what would happen if they ever discovered that she was also some kind of bigamist.

So she ran way. The thoughts had begun to overwhelm her and she didn't want to burden two amazing people with her ridiculous fears. Nona could figure it out herself and then get back them. Or at least that was what she wanted to do. Until she felt Clarissa and Alex take a seat on either side of her, wrapping arms around her. Immediately she broke down into soft crying, at which point both of them cooed and hugged her and wiped at her eyes and brushed her hair and asked her what was wrong. Much further down the line, Clarissa would admit that this was the moment she understood that Alex really did care for Nona in a way no one expected.

There was a good hour or so of real-ass conversation after that, no longer filled with flirtation and teasing. They talked about what they wanted, what they hoped for, what they were terrified of. The girls talked about labels and how willing they were to be 'out' and a lot of other really scary stuff.

Somewhere in all the stuff that happened, the girls actually found themselves exhausted – which was sort of the point of the sleepover in the first place. So they piled onto Alex's bed, all snuggling up together and leaving thoughts of radios and ghosts and what-ifs for another day. The bed was warm and welcoming and none of them had trouble sleeping in each others' arms.


	5. It's About Time

" _so ur really ok w/ not bein there?_ " Nona's thumbs fired off the text with expert precision, asking Alex for what was probably the fifteenth time. Asking her whether she was really fine with the fact that she and Clarissa were going to see her parents without her. Asking if Alex could live with not being able to hold her hand while she came out to her parents and grand-mother. But then... she and Clarissa were actually dating. Alex was a confusing third wheel who didn't have to put up with the worst parts of being a third wheel.

Poor Alex had tried her hardest to educate Clarissa and Nona about poly relationships, but there was a lot of... stuff involved, and for now, she was having a hard enough time just admitting that she and Clarissa were dating officially. As much as it made her feel like a complete and total bitch, she had to put that confusing extra business on the back-burner until after this was dealt with.

Her phone finally buzzed with Alex's reply, " _yeah dude u have my full support, but I can stand outside the window with pompoms and cheer if u want_ " causing Nona to give a little laugh.

Clarissa looked over at her with a knowing grin, that same knowing grin when she first watched Alex kiss Nona at their 'sleepover' (none of them necessarily felt comfortable using that word, but it was the only one that really fit). She truly didn't seem to mind watching another girl get all flirtatious with her girlfriend. Maybe some day that would stop seeming like such a surprise. "Hey, we're here. You might wanna stop bugging her for now. We can get all snuggly later. For now, though... Wait, you're a car short in the driveway."

Nona finally pulled her gaze away from her phone and looked in surprise to see that only her grandmother's car was there. She sighed softly and began climbing out. "I actually managed to work up the courage to do this and I'm not postponing. We'll just... We can talk to grandma first and then wait for mom and dad..." It was way less flawless and shit than the original plan, but life had a way of being messy, didn't it?

Clarissa moved over to her and offered her a hand, smiling sympathetically. "As many times as you need, girl. Come on"

The two were finally able to hunt down Nona's grandmother up in her bedroom. She greeted them with her usual friendly attitude but was probably super aware that something was going on – mostly since Nona was holding Clarissa's hand like it was all that was keeping her calm. Mostly because it was. "What can I do for you ladies?" The woman got comfortable on a nearby rocker while Clarissa led the two of them to settle on the edge of her grandmother's bed.

"Gram-gram... Um, I-I uh... I'm... gay."

"Yes, go on."

Nona sat there stunned for a moment or two, as though her grandmother's response just didn't even make sense in context. But the elderly woman just smiled pleasantly at her and resumed working on the bit of knitting she had going. Nona fiddled with her and Clarissa's hands awkwardly, but her girlfriend could only offer her a shrug. "Um, that was all. I just... We're dating now. And... it seemed like I should come out. So that is... what I'm doing?"

"Oh." Said the elderly woman, looking far less surprised than Nona was expecting. "I had assumed you and Clarissa were already quite familiar with one another. I apologize for the misunderstanding."

"Um, Gram-gram? I just. I um. I guess I sort of figured... I mean I wasn't expecting you to be so... chill." That may have been too much honesty, but she didn't seem to mind.

She just kept right on knitting and smiling as she spoke. "Your great-grandmother told me often about being shuffled off to an internment camp back in the day, before I was born. It was a horrible experience, born almost solely out of corruption and judgment. My brother got the everloving snot beaten out of him weekly until he realized he could be the 'smart Asian kid' who did his bully's homework. Your mother, bless her heart, was told by her first boyfriend that she was 'pretty for a-'" She stopped herself here, apparently not even having the heart to actually say it. Besides, Nona got the point. "Your grandfather could be a real ass sometimes. And your father inherited that from him. But I promise you, if he reacts poorly, you send him to me. Because I didn't raise him to be a judgmental little shit. Life is too short, and your girlfriend is too pretty." She began to chuckle, and Clarissa joined in, leaving poor Nona to sit there with growing embarrassment. This explained... a great deal.

* * *

"So I'm like 'Okay, well I'm going to wait around so I can tell mom and dad too' and she's like 'Hoho, don't worry about that, I'll take care of it!' and then she gives me this mysterious wink and basically shoves us out the door before we can argue about it." Nona shrugged and huddled herself up between Alex and Clarissa on the girl's bed, feeling warm and comfortable and safe. It was a feeling she honestly hadn't felt in ages.

"Holy shit, you apparently have the coolest, most badass grandma ever. Not many people would do that kind of thing. And even fewer people could be trusted with the job. Sounds like she'll do just fine." As it turned out, the knitting Gram-gram had been working on was a new hat for Nona, which was presently resting on her head.

But it was whisked away by Alex who admired it while Clarissa played with her hair. "Yeah, 99 times out of 100 I would say that letting someone else come out for you would be a stupid idea. But Gram-gram is not to be fucked with. And you were... still pretty stressed out. I guess she figured you didn't need the added anxiety of waiting around for your parents to show up until who-knows-when."

Frankly, Nona was too contented at the moment to care. This was a moment she had been dreading forever. The events at Edwards Island, as much as they worked out in the end, had only made her feel more anxious and afraid. And, most depressing of all, she had basically just learned the same lesson twice. The monsters in your head were the most powerful. She had become so obsessed with the picture in her mind of grandpa looking disappointed in her from beyond the grave. But by sheer luck she was able to trust her grandmother first, who showed that amazing, deep family love without a second thought.

And now here she was, settled with her two girlfriends (even if only one of them was official, at the end of the day it was still the three of them together), and in no time it would be prom and finals and graduation and life beyond. And Nona was finally unafraid.

 **[A/N: Hey everyone, so I'm sorry for the kinda short chapter, but doing 'coming out' scenes aren't always super easy for some reason. Hopefully doing prom and wrapping things up will be more fun~!]**


	6. Dance all Night

"Come on! Come on come on come on! I've never seen you in so much as a skirt before, I want to at _least_ see this!"

"Oh man, that's right, you really haven't. The only kind of skirts she wears are those like... calf-length, flowy hippie skirts. And it's the cutest."

"How have I never been able to witness this? Nona, I'm a little upset with you now."

Somehow, it seemed that letting this embarrassing conversation go on any longer would be far worse than just going through with this already. So Nona grasped at the skirts of her potential prom dress and stepped out in front of them with a nervous smile. Of course, they were all smiles and gasps and exactly what she had been expecting. And that should have been a good thing. And it was! But also kind of not. Nona wasn't the hugest fan of being center-stage. Ever.

More often than not, Nona was a leggings-and-Uggs kinda girl. She never wore dresses if she could help it. But then again, it was hard to not feel like a major princess in this get-up. "I'm confused. How come it's a big magical deal getting me in a dress. But Alex has never worn a skirt either and she's going to prom in a freaking suit?"

"Because," purred Clarissa as she stood before her and began playing with her hair just a little bit, "Alex has that whole butch tomboy thing on lock. But you are too precious for words. Besides, I like seeing you get all bashful and girly from time to time."

With a clear head, Nona might have been able to make sense of that, to come up with some kind of counter-argument or whatever. But Clarissa could do this thing where she got all sultry and charming and it completely fried Nona's brain into mush. It was tough to complain about that, though. It was the kind of thing that drew you in and didn't let you go and you loved it that way. "Christ, alright, it's... it's a great dress and I'm totally gonna wear it. Now go, it's your turn!" Nona pushed Clarissa away and took her seat on the little couch thingy next to Alex where they could wait for their girlfriend to try on her own dress. "So it really looks okay? I mean, the color's not too bizarre or whatever?"

Alex linked arms with her and smiled that usual cheeky Alex smile. "We keep telling you, orange is your color! Well, in this case, kinda tangerine sherbet. Whatever. You just gotta learn to own it."

"Yeah, it's important to be confident in yourself when you're doing something strange. For example, taking your two girlfriends to prom?" Clarissa chimed in from her own dressing room before opening it up dramatically and strutting out, full of pride. Her own dress was much sleeker and sexy than Nona's, in a stunning shade of dark blue, and she instantly felt an awkward combination of jealous and turned on. Because she sometimes wanted to be the gorgeous homecoming queen type. But she was _dating_ her instead, which was amazing, and it meant she didn't have to deal with everyone watching her all the time. As if to prove her point and remind her she was already plenty lucky, Clarissa plucked her from the couch up to her feet and twirled her experimentally. "Yeah. Yeah, this is gonna go perfectly. We're awesome. And how are things on your end, Alex?"

The other girl grinned and tilted her head slightly. "It's being tailored as we speak and it'll be ready in plenty of time. Ren's gonna meet all of us at my place, we go get dinner together, and then hit the dance. It's going to be magical!"

* * *

Magical was one word. Nona might have gone for 'hectic' instead. There was the three of them, most notably Alex in a finely tailored tux that Michael had left behind. While Nona had been doubtful at first, the moment Alex actually showed up with the fancy suit, everyone agreed wholeheartedly that it was a perfect look. And Clarissa was especially appreciative of the significance behind wearing the same suit that her brother had worn.

Jonas was there, of course, dateless and planning on going stag. He had become popular around school, and by his last count, he had at least five different people he owed dances to. Ren, meanwhile, thoroughly shocked everyone by turning up with his actually-super-real Canadian girlfriend on his arm. She was pretty and articulate and not made up. No one could really seem to wrap their heads around the fact that this was real.

Alex's mom and Jonas' dad had to take like a million pictures. With six of them all needing to get around, they had to climb into two separate cars. Nona didn't really feel like she could catch a proper breath of fresh air until they got to the restaurant. But even then, it was a fancy joint, and they weren't the only ones there for prom night dinner. It was busy with conversation and delicious smells and she and Clarissa and Alex got caught up in flirting. Like when Clarissa extended a piece of marinated chicken to her, or the hunk of chocolate cake she tried and kind of failed to feed to Alex.

All that was merely a prelude to the dance itself, of course. Not one of them had exceptional rhythm by any means, but they knew how to have fun. Even when all they had was hip-swaying and teasing touches, the important part was that they were giggling with delight and enjoying themselves. The first time a slow jam came on, there were a few pairs of eyes on them daring them to figure out how to dance to it. They didn't miss a beat as Alex gently wrapped around Nona from behind and Clarissa wrapped around them both from the other side. It was the best slow-dance she'd ever had. If anyone was as-yet unaware that they were together, there was no question any longer.

Wheelchair girl, as Clarissa had called her (though in fact her real name was Melanie Mars) recognized that Clarissa had effectively stepped down and made room for her as the prom queen. So she felt it was only fair to give best couple "or whatever" to her, Nona, and Alex. The applause they got was impressive, and perhaps for the first time in a while, Nona felt like a kind of normal human being again. But more importantly, the thing that changed, the thing she thought would mark them as freaks, was actually welcomed rather warmly. Clarissa insisted on giving the 'queen' crown to Nona, and the 'king' crown to Alex, which was pretty fitting. She liked doting.

The night wore on and everyone was pretty visibly exhausted. Not only had Alex planned out their night, but she had also gotten them a hotel room. It wasn't fancy, but it was enough for three tired girls on prom night. They had procured themselves some wine – Clarissa refused to say how – and were now undressed, in bed, and drinking. Pretty much like always, Nona was in the middle of the other two, since that was the most convenient and comfortable, and frankly she still had trouble sleeping if she didn't have at least one of her girlfriends with her.

This amount of intimacy was new but not exactly unwanted. The fact that it was prom night and she was drunk were helping Nona to cope a great deal. And it wasn't as if she didn't think about it! It just hadn't come up.

When the wine was gone and there was nothing else to entertain or distract, both Alex and Clarissa turned their attention fully on Nona with wicked grins. She didn't even have long to contemplate precisely what they were planning. One moment they were all just snuggling, the next she had fingers in her hair, a hand at her breast, another hand between her thighs, one pair of lips kissing her, and another at her neck.

Nona was thankful for the kiss, because it helped to cut off what would have otherwise been a rather loud, surprised moan. She did eventually manage to get some air and see that Clarissa was the one kissing her and caressing her chest, meaning that Alex was the one currently... oh... She squirmed and was drawn into another playful kiss as her girlfriends kept right on playing with her for... an impressive amount of time. While she did eventually start to get fuzzy-headed and lose track of time and reality, she was still certain she would remember her prom night for quite a while.


	7. Wrap it Up

"We don't have to do this..." Ren muttered as the ferry slowed to a stop at the pier.

Jonas chuckled softly and shrugged. "You can ride the boat with Karen back to the mainland if you aren't feeling it. But me? I need to see that cave again and hear the static. I need to know for sure that we ended things."

Alex lifted her little radio with a cheeky smile while tugging Nona closer against her. "We did, I'm positive. So, I'm looking forward checking a few cairns for rogue channels, and then we're gonna go star-gaze on the beach with some beers, the way things were _supposed_ to go last time." Nona lifted her own matching WAL radio that she had held onto from the night, happy to provide a second just in case they wanted to do some extra breaking and entering.

Before Nona could say her piece, Clarissa wrapped around the two of them possessively and grinned. "Any time-ghost that tries to get between me and a fun night is going to be in for a shock."

"Yeah!" she finally chimed in excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet with a small giggle.

Between the five of them, they were able to get the cooler down to the beach and set things up just like before. This time, there were also snacks, and Ren had thought ahead to bring a backpack full of stuff to help with entertainment and fun. But this time around, they knew not to have alcohol or drugs until they were absolutely certain the coast was clear – either of authorities or monsters.

They had all night to explore most of the island, of course, but each of them had certain places that they really weren't interested in investigating. Jonas was nervous about hearing that song again. Ren didn't want to end up back in the woods at Relay Point where he was almost possessed. Neither Clarissa or Nona wanted to end up back in Fort Milner and the RCS where some truly awful things happened. Only Alex – brave, stupid, amazing Alex – was comfortably scouring every single inch of the place. And scour she did. On her original 'scavenger hunt' she had found an entire list's worth of interesting things to investigate. Literally, she had brought a list along with her radio to make sure she hit everything she wanted to see.

As they wandered back up to Epiphany Fields from the beach, Nona looked over at Clarissa with a mischievous smile. "Okay so... At some point we have to break back in to the old Adler estate. Maybe we can do that when everyone else goes over to the military base."

"Hmmm, won't be nearly as exciting now that all the stuff is gone. But I hear they're gonna convert it into a museum, so that's cool."

"W-Well,we can still sit on the dock and just take a little breather or something." In truth, Nona also just wanted to get a little time alone with Clarissa. There were things she wanted to talk to her about. And while it made her feel like a bad girlfriend, sometimes she could still get a little jealous and enjoy one-on-one time without Alex. Even five minutes would be nice.

* * *

"I mean, I know it's been a few months, but it's still weirding me out how much stuff has changed. I don't think I realized all that crap was dumped here by those portal things. All the tape players and chairs and desks and... Man, no wonder a simple wooden chair gave me the heebies." Alex was muttering softly as she led the way through the bunker toward the cave. She seemed to be keeping up the chatter to calm herself, but just in case Nona offered up a hand to hold. Alex took it gladly.

"The jeebies?" Ren offered a bit of silliness in return, the banter a pretty common side effect of their friendship.

Jonas laughed, as was often becoming his reaction to their behavior. He had accidentally inherited a brother along with his sister. He played the part of the long-suffering older sibling, but it was obvious he enjoyed his new family. "The spookiest of scaries. Which is impressive since they had to compete with possessions and games of death."

It took the combined strength of the two siblings to get the door open, and all five of them were a little in disbelief as they looked around. Everything was gone – the huge desk, the wardrobe, hell even the graffiti was gone! It was... just a cave. It wasn't particularly ethereal or beautiful anymore. Just... a cave.

Everyone stood around while Nona and Alex fiddled around with their radios. Aside from catching about two seconds of a lost frequency from a baseball game, that was it. Things seemed to have finally gone back to normal. But no one would be satisfied until the entire island had been given the all-clear. So the hunt began for every conceivable zone of weirdness that any of them could find. Even if each of them had their own 'no fly zones' so to speak, between five kids and two radios, they were able to search nearly everywhere.

By midnight, there really wasn't anything left to investigate. They had each weaved their way back to the beach once more. Clarissa was making her way toward a towel near the cooler filled with drinks when Nona gently tugged at her arm. "C'mon, we're not quite done yet, remember?" Without meaning to, she had apparently initiated her puppy dog eyes, because her girlfriend broke out in a massive grin, pecking her playfully on the lips.

"One last crime."

* * *

The WAL radio sang it's little song as the lock on the gate popped and Nona gave a contented little sigh. "I don't think I could ever get tired of that. It's like magic."

Clarissa laughed as she pulled Nona along through the open gate and up toward the house. "One more to go Miss Wizard. C'mon!" They went up to the front door of the building and Nona worked her spell one last time. The building was actually almost as full as it had been the last time they were here. However, things had been massively rearranged, and there were several new fixtures to indicate that the installation of a museum was already well under way.

Showing absolutely zero chill, Clarissa was still tugging Nona all the way through the house/museum upstairs until she found something comfortable they could collapse onto. Once more, it turned out to be Maggie Adler's bed. With a little squeal, Nona flopped on top of her girlfriend and was pulled into a playful embrace. Clarissa's hands were already slipping underneath her shirt and brushed against her sides slowly as the two of them made eye contact with massive grins. "An entire night alone on an island that's finally not haunted? This is fantastic."

"I'll say~" said someone that definitely was _not_ Nona.

"Of course, that bed would only see action _after_ you died, honey," came another voice.

"Ahhh!" Both girls separated, sitting up lightning fast and looking around the room. A short distance away, hovering slightly above the worn boards of the floor were two spectral figures. While they giggled together as though this was the funniest thing in the world, Nona forced her heart rate to slow down. Finally some part of her brain registered what was happening here, though it felt somehow more insane than everything else they'd done back in the spring. "...Maggie? A-Anna?"

They continued to giggle together until finally one of them nodded and waved cheerfully. "Let me see, if I recall correctly, you are... Nona? And Clarissa?"

The two on the bed nodded dumbly.

"We saw that the five of you had returned to the island tonight, but we were uncertain how to go about saying hello. Then Anna noticed the two of you slipping away and... well... we were curious what you were up to. It's wonderful that people are not nearly so judgmental as they were back in our day. Granted, losing the love of your life to a horrible portal doesn't help the situation either..." Maggie mused with a hint of melancholy. But Anna took her hand and the blues were gone again. "Anyhow, we were rather hoping we might get to talk to the others as well, thank you all properly."

"They're down on the beach. If you uh... wouldn't uh... could maybe just... give us a second?" Clarissa cleared her throat and looked away anxiously. So just how far had she been meaning to go, enjoying their alone time?

Still tittering like a couple of church ladies, they disappeared through the floor and made their way for the beach. Nona released a long sigh before glancing toward Clarissa, her eyebrows curving up sympathetically. "Um, so I don't wanna make them wait forever, but I just... jeez... I don't even know, I just wanted to talk about like... college and stuff and... sorta feels small now."

Clarissa's hand brushed over her cheek and she kissed her softly on the forehead. "It's not small. Figuring out college stuff is kind of a huge deal, and we should absolutely figure it out together. But why didn't you want Alex around?"

"Because... I mean I love her too. But I can't shake the realization I had that if it came down to it, I would much rather be at a school near you. Like if someone were holding a gun to my head and all, and I absolutely had to pick, y'know? Just... y-you're my Clarissa. That's the short version of what I wanted to say. And I couldn't think of a way to say it around her that didn't sound super shitty."

There was another kiss to her forehead, and then she was urged to stand up from the bed so they could leave the house. "I'll help you come up with something diplomatic. Hah, god, listen to me. Actually learning how to be diplomatic. It's a brave new world."

"Oh brave new world, that has such ghosts in it?"

"Exactly."

* * *

Everyone else was, understandably, just as shocked to see the girls come back to the beach with two ghosts in tow. Nona went immediately to the cooler, grabbing up two beers and passing one to Clarissa. She chugged the beverage in one go, and it looked like the other girl was doing the same. They finished simultaneously with dramatic gasps, cans crushed and tossed in the nearby garbage bag.

Alex, naturally, was the first to figure it out and eagerly ran up to them. "Maggie! Anna!" She attempted to throw herself into a big hug with the ghosts, but instead just kinda passed through them in an impressive leap. "Hah... right, duh Alex... Ghosts." She turned to face them, beaming, as though she hadn't just completely embarrassed herself. "It's so cool that you guys are here! But... you didn't pass on?"

"Wait wait, how is it that in all the crazy shit we saw, you never showed up, Maggie?" Jonas was cool and collected, like always. There was a reason the dude was so mega-popular.

The woman looked completely unbothered by the question and just offered a good-natured laugh. "The crew of the Kanaloa was using up a great deal of energy, and things were only made more chaotic with the portals opening. I was here, certainly, but there was no way for me to become even a little corporeal. Now, however, it's just the two of us, and it's much easier to go about as we please."

Anna nodded sagely. "As for 'passing on' well... we certainly could, at any time really. But, as I'm sure you can imagine, Maggie wasn't content to let her home fall into hell ever again. So we stay here, voluntarily, and keep an eye on things. In case there aren't kids like you around to save things next time."

"Just to play the devil's advocate, nothing would have happened if Alex hadn't tuned into that triangle in the first place," Clarissa added with a smug smirk.

Maggie shot her a silencing glare, and surprisingly it worked. Clarissa's face fell, and Nona burst out in soft giggling. "Yes, but sometimes the only way to fix a massive problem is to meddle in a smaller one. Before the portal could be mended, it had to be ripped open. And the only way to properly give all those spirits peace was to actually learn about them and talk with them. Alex, please, never lose that investigative edge of yours."

Alex's face lit up with a big smile. It was adorable, and it reminded Nona that while Clarissa would undoubtedly come first, she still loved her in a very special way. "I always wanted to be a journalist."

The two ghosts shared one more fond look with each other. Anna just seemed so happy. "Well, we certainly had no interest in taking up your entire night. We just wanted to be sure to give you a quick visit and say our thanks. Me especially. It was a nightmare being in that place, and while I may not have been granted my humanity back, I can still spend my eternity with Maggie. That's more than I thought I would ever get."

Just like that, they were gone, as though a strong breeze had blown away a puff of smoke. The five teens shared a look and suddenly broke out in bright laughter, at the absurdity of it all. Ren started passing out food and drinks and broke out his copy of Cards Against Humanity. Nona and Clarissa shared a towel with Alex, their hero. Jonas and Ren clinked their cans of beer together in a toast to the second-weirdest night of their lives. They still had nearly six hours before the ferry would show up, and they planned to use their time well.

Even if the future was uncertain and scary, Nona was sure that she would be prepared to handle it. After all, once you kissed your best friend to wake her up from super-ghost possession, what else could really shake you?


End file.
